Reducing Emissions by Optimizing Aircraft Turnaround Times at Regional AirportsCopy Link

SITA is looking to optimize aircraft turnaround times at regional African airports as a way to reduce emissions. There are many systems available for larger airports, but these are not economically or technologically suitable for smaller airports with less advanced infrastructure, which must also deal with signal and power issues. Their goal is to reduce CO2 emissions and wasted resources (primarily caused by additional use of aircraft APUs: Auxiliary Power Units) by 20% by enhancing efficiency and streamlining turnaround logistics. Innovative solutions should have real-time functionality, measurement ability and be capable of dealing with the reduced amount of data collected by smaller airports. The solutions will initially be trialled in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya and should be scalable regionally.

Solutions can engage with any suitable touchpoint (hardware, software, device, infrastructure, etc.) and are invited from, but not limited to, the following sectors:

• Aviation
• Transport
• Telecoms
• Digital
• Creative
• AI and Blockchain
• Machine Learning and Computer Vision
• Data
• Design
• Sensors
• Imaging
• Business intelligence and Forecasting

SITA Background

SITA is the world's leading specialist in air transport communications and information technology. 

Imagine a world where travel connects us all, hassle-free. That's the world SITA has been shaping for 75 years. Back in 1949, 11 visionary airlines came together to create SITA and transform travel forever. From the beginning, their mission has been clear: to revolutionize the industry. They started by building the world's largest data network and even contributed to the birth of the internet.

Since then, they have constantly been adding more and more innovations that work for every airline and every airport across the world. They are here to help pilots talk to ground control. Make check-in easier. Track down lost bags and build a safer and more sustainable future of travel for everyone.

From the very beginning, their vision has been to reinvent travel and transport, pioneering innovations that touch the lives of billions of people. That’s why they say they don't just build networks; they build pathways to the future.

Motivation Behind the Challenge

• Sustainability through reduced emissions: This challenge directly contributes to sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, crucial for a climate-sensitive region like Africa. Increased aircraft turnaround times can lead to extended ground operations, increased taxi times, air traffic congestion and disruptions to overall airport efficiency - all of which have a concomitant CO2 emissions impact. Variables impacting the emissions include aircraft type, outside air temperature, fuel burn mode for the APU, use of ground power units or bleed air from external sources etc). The primary source of carbon emissions is likely to be the auxiliary power unit, so anything that can reduce the time the APU is active (especially being used for air cabin conditioning) will be significant.
• Economic Impact: Boeing's research indicates that reducing turnaround times by just 10 minutes can increase airplane utilization by 8.1 percent and lower airplane-related operating costs by 2 percent, crucial for Africa's rapidly growing aviation sector.
• Regional Growth and Connectivity: Enhanced turnaround efficiency fosters better connectivity across the continent, aligning with Africa's infrastructural developments and the rise of low-cost carriers flying point-to-point routes.

Regional African Airports

Many regional African airports lack the infrastructure for efficient data capture and analysis for aircraft turnaround, leading to operational delays locally, while also spilling over into interconnected hub-airport operations. 

These infrastructural limitations make traditional optimization approaches – which are reliant on large-scale, real-time data - less effective. We seek innovative, adaptable solutions that respect the infrastructure and process constraints of small airports and deliver tangible reductions in carbon footprint and resource utilization Such improvements are vital to generate the environmental benefits sought by airlines and airport operators.

Solutions for large European airports do not suit small African airports. Existing products are too expensive, both in terms of capital expenditure and in terms of running costs. 

Smaller airports may lack basic tracking technology, instead relying on manual recording of movements and quantification of essential data. Solutions are sought with a suitable balance of automated and manual interactions. 

The basic turnaround time flight cycle consists of:

• Landing
• Parking
• Turnaround
• Take-off

Optimisation of each of these elements (reducing gate time, fuel use, staff time, etc.) should be considered as part of an integrated solution. Every delay creates costs and knock-on effects for the principal and partner airports. The goal is to have confidence in a SLA (Service Level Agreement) ensuring all tasks are completed in the time allocated by airports for turnaround, so the appropriate slot is ready for the next plane requiring service. 

Air traffic slot availability is unlikely to be an issue at regional airports, so the primary driver for turnaround time is the airline/operator maximising their own aircraft efficiency, thus reducing fees payable to the airport for on-stand time. Primary factors impacting turnaround are passengers disembarking/boarding, luggage and freight loading/offloading, re-fuelling, catering and cleaning, and potentially line maintenance. At smaller airports, all of these will be impacted by availability of ground staff who may be fulfilling multiple functions. Interventions like real time tracking of staff activity and critical paths, advance planning, and ground equipment reliability and maintenance are all significant in reducing turnaround time.

Solutions should indicate which types of data will be needed and required bandwidths. They should also indicate their alignment with industry cybersecurity protocols. They should be able to interface with any other airport systems required (eg: flight updates, ticketing, baggage, etc). 

Potential Technologies to Leverage

• Blockchain: Employing blockchain for secure, transparent, and efficient operational data management and coordination.
• Video Analysis/Computer Vision: Utilizing advanced video analytics and computer vision for real-time monitoring and decision-making support during aircraft turnaround.
• Business Intelligence/Forecasting: Implementing BI tools for dynamic forecasting, scheduling optimization, and enhanced decision-making based on real-time data.

Additional Considerations

• User-Centric Design: Solutions should be practical and user-friendly, tailored to the specific needs and capabilities of regular ground staff at regional African airports.
• Sustainability Metrics: The solution should be able to quantifiably improve turnaround times, thereby giving some indication of the sustainability impact of its implementation.
• Scalability and Adaptability: Solutions should be scalable and adaptable to different airport sizes and capacities across Africa, ensuring wide applicability and effectiveness.
• Scope of Solution: A regional airport is defined as servicing less than 10 airlines and less than 1 million passengers per year.
• Realtime Tracking: Solutions are preferred which can track aircraft across the airport, not on the stand only (eg: via CCTV, which only covers nearby areas).

Your Application

Applicants should include relevant details as attachments, such as:

• Process diagrams
• Technical data
• Business model
• Usage metrics

SITA is seeking innovative ideas that can be tailored for their needs and tested collaboratively (not just a straight product purchase). The key ask is for innovative ways to overcome the current challenges to optimising logistics at regional airports. This can be via any suitable touchpoint (hardware, software, device, infrastructure, etc.)

• Up to GBP 25,000 seed funding (Subject to T&C)
• Opportunity to pitch your solution to SITA
• Collaboration/partnership with SITA
• Technical support from SITA team
• Sector expertise from Innovate UK 
• Support in the development of a prototype or pilot 
• Invitation to attend or present at Innovate UK events
• Investor introductions (if investment is required)
• Application support for any Innovate UK or similar competitions that are relevant.

The identified solution must/should address the following:

• Solution must align with existing airport systems
• Solution must be applicable in modular format, to scale progressively
• Solutions must operate securely with data privacy aligned with existing SITA policies

• Solution may be integrated with SITA’s existing systems or may operate as separate systems alongside it.
• Solutions should include the ability to measure relevant metrics, allowing the setting of baselines and monitoring of improvements.
• Please detail any new infrastructure requirements for your solution
• Technological maturity: preference for late-stage solutions (TRL 7+) that have passed proof of concept stage, are in pilot, ready to commercialise or commercialised. However lower TRL ideas will also be considered. 

• 24/7 operation to cover all African time zones
• Able to cope with climate extremes
• Solution should be able to cope with power and signal outages 

• 12 Sep 2024 – Competition launch
• 11 Oct 2024 – Information session/Q&A 
• 25 Oct 2024 – Deadline for applications
• Nov 2024 – Selection and notification of finalists
• Nov 2024 – Pitch day & selection of winner
• Dec 2024 – Collaboration discussions
• Jan 2025 – Pilot programme activated

• The solution’s operation should aim to be cost-effective in terms of ROI 
• Winning solution providers will become long-term partners, gaining access to SITA data (within GDPR regulations)
• Winning solutions will be tested locally, with opportunity to scale regionally
• Innovative funding models will be considered if mutual benefits proven

Proposed solutions may not be viable if they are:

• Unable to interface with existing airport systems
• Unsuitable for African regional airports in practical or technical terms
• Very expensive to fit and operate in terms of ROI

Entrants to this competition must be:

• Established businesses, start-ups, SMEs, academics or individual entrepreneurs
• Africa-based entrants, UK-based entrants and those from RoW are invited to apply

Due Diligence requirements for seed funding:

• UK applicants must ensure that receiving the £25k seed funding will not exceed the £315,000* state aid threshold under UK Minimal Financial Assistance regulations over the current and last 2 fiscal years [or *200,000 euros for applicants affected by EC de minimis regulations]
• Further information will be required later relating to company policies, financial history and recent grant funding received.

Applications will be assessed on:

• Relevance to the topic
• Innovative nature of the subject
• Coherence of the proposed business model
• Feasibility/ economic viability
• Development potential
• Maturity of project/solution
• Ability to launch project quickly/ease of implementation
• Price/quality ratio
• Suitability for the African Market

SITA is seeking innovative ideas that can be tailored for their needs and tested collaboratively (not just a straight product purchase). The key ask is for innovative ways to overcome the current challenges to optimising logistics at regional airports. This can be via any suitable touchpoint (hardware, software, device, infrastructure, etc.)

• Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with Solution Provider(s). Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subject to the mutual IP agreement of the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Any commercial deployment of a transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership or direct investment, will be subject to the commercial agreement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger.
• Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger. (This would be expected to be after company selection. It is suggested that details of IP not be disclosed initially. Focus on the outcomes of the technology proposed).
• Innovate UK does not take any share of IP ownership or enter into commercial ventures through the iX programme.

• The application form for this challenge will require applicants to provide company information and answer 3 questions - Idea Summary, Technology Readiness and Intellectual Property – each with a limit of 300 words.
• Optionally, supporting documents can be attached to the application. We recommend that supporting documents are limited to those which are directly relevant to the application. Please note that applications with no supporting document will not receive any penalty in assessment. Supporting documents which the Assessment Panel deems to be superfluous may be disregarded. Examples of useful additional documents include product images or short specification sheets, slide decks detailing the solution and/or company background, or solution case studies.
• We recommend that you complete the application form in Google Chrome as other browsers may have compatibility issues. The application form does not need to be completed in one session and can be saved for future edits. Please ensure that you toggle “Stage Complete” for each section before submission. Note that you will no longer be able to edit your application once you have clicked “Submit Idea” at the bottom of the Summary page.